App Store turns on newly announced ad slot for Today tab

July 12, 2023

3 min read

Apple last month announced a new advertising format for the App Store, so that developers have even more options to promote their apps to iPhone and iPad users. The company said the new ads in the Today tab of the iOS App Store would become visible to users in July, and as of today, users are now seeing these new ads on the iPhone.

It’s been a while since Apple started selling ad slots in the App Store. However, this new format appears right in the Today tab – which is the first tab users see when they open the App Store. The ad appears just below the main slot, which is still non-sponsored content, and doesn’t require the user to scroll to see it.

“With a Today tab ad, your app can appear prominently on the front page of the App Store,” Apple explains to developers. “he new format will be simplified to feature the app icon, name, and subtitle,” the company adds.

Since this new ad format is simpler and has no screenshots or detailed information, Apple says getting approval to run ads in this slot is easier. Tapping the ad takes the user to a custom product page featuring advertiser-submitted artwork. Of course, Apple still has to approve the icon, name, and subtitle of the ad.

For example, apps with an icon or name deemed “violent, offensive, sexually explicit, or otherwise inappropriate” can’t be featured in these ads. Another detail to keep in mind is that this new ad format is only available on iPhone with iOS 16.4 or later. The slot won’t be available on iPad for now.

The App Store Today tab ad format first debuted last year with Apple expanding Search Ads to the Today tab and app product pages. The latter change proved particularly controversial, as it saw gambling and casino ads appear alongside legitimate app listings from developers. In response to the criticism, Apple halted showing gambling ads in these slots.